Tired. Strained. Sore. Words most runners never want to hear when describing their performance or body after a run. These may be common issues you’ve experienced in the past with your endurance and stamina. No more struggling to improve your running skills; instead, here are four ways to help you improve and hit your goals.

Gradually Increase Mileage

If you want to see changes in your endurance and speed, you must make adjustments in your runs. Slowly increasing your mileage every week helps prevent injury and gives your body the time to adjust properly without stressing it out.

Listen To Your Body

Pushing yourself too hard is one major mistake runners make when training. It’s important to know your limits and to keep your boundaries when performing any physical activity. It’s crucial to let your body recover to prevent future injuries and fatigue. Make sure to stretch, drink plenty of water, and get proper sleep for the best recovery.

Don’t Skip Weight Training

You should always incorporate weight training into your routine, as it can help build and strengthen muscles to improve speed and overall performance. Integrating exercises such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, and deep core training gives your body the strength to improve your running economy.

Incorporate HIIT

High-intensity interval training can make a huge difference in your performance. As cardio is a big aspect of running, interval training builds your endurance as you exert great amounts of effort into each exercise. Strengthening your heart and lungs can pay off during those long runs.

There’s always room for improvement and ways to challenge yourself with any sport. As a runner, it’s important to learn these tips to build on the skills you already have and push the limits. Now don’t expect yourself to be running a marathon within a month, as it takes time to build these aspects. But as you train and establish your endurance, you can kick up the pace, inching yourself closer to your running goals.